Daniel Franco's Immigrants And Refugees

Though they begin as scared kids and wish to be invisible, the characters in “Refugee” must become more mature to protect their families by Stepping up when times are hard and difficult to accomplish what they needed to accomplish

Imagine not having a safe spot. A place where you don't feel protected. A place where you're not frightened. A place where you're not scared of dying if you don't leave immediately. In Refugee by Alan Gratz three characters are refugees in different times, going through the same experience of fleeing the life they knew. The 1930’s: Josef, a Jewish boy living through the Holocaust, must flee Germany on a ship headed to Cuba. 1994: Isabel, a Cuban girl living through riots and protests, flees Cuba on a makeshift boat after the Soviet Union collapsed. 2015: Mahmoud, a Syrian boy living through the Syrian Civil War, must leave Syria with his family after his home is bombed. All three of these realistic characters are experiencing the same journey,

I was born in Hidalgo, Texas, just five minutes across the Mexican border to my

Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo and Mariela M. Páez. Latinos: Remaking America. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1997.

No one is prepared for war and the most challenging decisions you will have to make to survive. Although each character in Refugee, by Alan Gratz, is from a different time and place, they each share similar hardships and challenges in their experiences, such as they were all forced from their homes, they all lose a family member, and their problems begin in their own country.

The essay "How Immigrants Become 'Other'" by Marcelo and Carola Suarez-Orozco illustrates the issue of immigrants never truly being accepted by natural born citizens of America. In the essay, it is discussed that immigrants are and have been treated differently. The different ways immigrants are treated differently is almost an unintelligent question to ask. Instead the question, “How aren’t immigrants treated differently?” should be asked. Even the names politicians and society have created to describe immigrants are alienating and harsh, “Illegal, undocumented, alien.” The idea of a human being illegal is something that most people overlook, but the reality is, no human is illegal. This idea of immigrants being associated with names that have such negative connotations is one of many ideas discussed in the essay "How Immigrants Become ‘Other’.”Even though America is known as a “melting pot,” immigrants will never truly be accepted as a part of society no matter the amount of assimilation due to the blatant racism, segregation, and prejudice that non-immigrants have against immigrants.

When I was still in my country Nigeria, it was my everyday wish to travel to the United States. Like most people in my country would say, America is the second heaven things are gotten with ease, good degrees are gotten with ease, houses are owned with ease, money is made with ease and foods are gotten with ease. When I finally arrived here, I discovered that the reverse was the case. Now at the age of 18, I have to work in order to raise funds for my education and to get good grades are not easy. Without hard work a student cannot make an A. Right now I am a bit confused with either going back home to live dependent with my parents or I stay here to bring out the best I can be and be dependent on myself. In Robert Kosi Tettes article, An

I was born on january/31/1919 in Vietnam and immigrated to France. In 1942 I was studying at the university in Nice, where I met a fellow student, Jadwiga Alfabet, a Jewish refugee from Poland. In the summer of 1942 the French police began arresting Jews with foreign nationality. In September 1943 the Germans occupied Nice and all the Italian controlled zones and we were in danger of deportation. I decided to hide not only my wife, but also her relatives. In November 1943 I took a train with a few of my wife's relatives to get them in touch with a smuggler who could take them to Switzerland, I made this trip several

Immigration has been a topic for heated discussions for many years. However, no one has really ever looked into what immigration actually is or how hard it is for the people trying to immigrate. In the common reader we are given an insight to what immigration is, and the risks that follow.

An interesting chapter from Current Issues and Enduring Questions was chapter twenty four, Immigration: What is to be done? Throughout this chapter multiple authors argue their opinion of immigration in the United States. There is much to learn about this topic because it is extremely controversial in today’s society. It is necessary for one to know both sides of agreeing or disagreeing with immigration to fully understand the situation and base an opinion from this knowledge. The multiple authors within this chapter have different views about immigration but they all make reasonable accusations.

Intro: Refugees face a far worse life than most people can imagine, and there is no easy way out for them. They first must get out of whatever dangerous place they are in, then travel long distances with almost no resources, and even if they do make it safely to the USA there is a chance they will be sent back or even put in jail. The refugee experience is defined by risks and belonging.

The Europeans who claimed what was to become America chose to integrate the land's present inhabitants and future immigrants in order to become the dominating race and, consequently, made other cultures feel inferior to their own. The Angel family, Mexican-Indian immigrants and the subject of Arturo Islas' Migrant Souls, becomes victim to the Americans' forceful demands for conformity. While Sancho, the father, never complains about assimilation, yet never becomes fully "assimilated," his wife, Eduviges, strives to be a part of the American culture. These conflicting reactions and the existing prejudice in the community leave their daughter, Josie, uncertain of her true identity.

During the 2015 Canadian Federal election, I volunteered for Anita Vandenbeld, the Liberal candidate in my riding. I spent after-school hours over three months making phone calls and going out door-to-door canvassing, which gave me the opportunity to talk with my community members, many of whom were first-generation immigrants and refugees. I listened to their stories about their struggles in their former countries, hearing personal testimonies of global challenges today. Many were Vietnamese and Somalian refugees, having fled conflict in their home countries. Their tales of success in the face of hardship inspired me deepen my understanding of our world issues and, as co-head of Lisgar Collegiate Institute’s Model United Nations Club, incorporate the discussion on immigration and refugees in my club. If it were not for the education many

Refugee women sustain emotional and often physical scars attempting to escape from oppressive situations. They are forced to leave, face death or perhaps something worse. They may find these horrors anyway, but they will risk that unknown for a chance at a different life. The first stop on this arduous journey is often a refugee camp. Here, if they are lucky, they are provided with basic needs such as food and shelter. During a presentation by the International Rescue

During the summer of 2013, I attended an international youth leadership camp where I met 50 Iraqi teenagers. They taught me about their culture and what their life is like in Iraq. The most important thing that I learned from them was that though we hailed from different countries, we had a lot in common. Now, whenever I hear news updates on the Middle East, it is not just another conflict in a foreign land but a conflict that directly affects my friends. In a way, I feel obligated to learn about what the Middle East is going through. Since I started my semester abroad, I have gained an increased interest in immigration and I would like to study the Middle Eastern refugee crisis more in-depth. Researching alongside a professor at another college would allow me to gain insight on the crisis that I wouldn’t achieve on my own. Though this will be the first time I will have researched with a professor, I look forward to offering my skills and discovering what there is to learn about the Middle Eastern refugee